Short city breaks key for Cape Town this winter

"Discover Why Cape Town Warms up in Winter"

As Cape Town heads into winter and international tourism arrivals begin to take a dip, Cape Town’s winter tourism campaign, "Discover why Cape Town warms up in winter", will encourage South Africans to take mid-year city breaks to the Mother City.

CEO of Cape Town Tourism Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold explains, “Seasonality remains the biggest threat to our tourism industry. For many, having been introduced to Cape Town through picture-perfect views of Table Mountain and the city’s many beaches means that the Mother City is seen primarily as a summer destination. Many perceptions exist around winter being an undesirable time to visit. This is a critical issue for an industry that employs more than 300 000 people and is the second largest contributor to the Western Cape’s GDP.”

Cape Town Tourism’s winter campaign focuses on the domestic market with the aim of stimulating short city breaks that demonstrate the great value Cape Town has to offer. Varied activities, events, affordability and accessibility will be the key drivers to sell the diverse winter offerings of the Mother City.

Du Toit-Helmbold continues, “Locals, and repeat visitors to Cape Town, know the Mother City differently. They know about the diverse food and wine offerings, the adventure activities and breaks in the rain that allow for a day on the beach in the middle of winter; they know the creative side of Cape Town, the shopping and the Mother City’s diverse collection of friendly people that are always ready to share their stories and introduce the visitor to the unexpected Cape Town. These are the elements our winter campaign will focus on, as well as the message that Cape Town offers accommodation and activities to suit different budgets and markets, always at great value.”

Through "Discover why Cape Town warms up in winter", Cape Town Tourism will spotlight its arts, culture, heritage, food and wine attractions, as well as what to do outdoors during the milder months. In addition, Cape Town Tourism is partnering with Thompson Tours, Mango Airlines and local tourism products to package short city breaks around three major events in order to showcase Cape Town’s winter offerings. Focus events this year are the Good Food & Wine Festival taking place from May 24 to 27; Cape Town Fashion Week from July 25 to 28; and the Cape Town Marathon taking place on September 23.

Du Toit-Helmbold concludes, “Last year at Indaba we introduced the Three Cities Tourism Alliance, which is a partnership between Cape Town Tourism, Durban Tourism and Johannesburg Tourism. All three cities have their own unique nuances and offerings, and we believe that it is vital for South Africans to know what their country has on offer by experiencing all of South Africa’s major cities. Winter is the perfect time to explore, and through this partnership Cape Town can tap into the domestic markets of these cities.”